About Me

I'm a stay at home Mom of two children and I have the unique privilege of being able to homeschool both of them. I am a stepmother to two older daughters one who is going to college. I enjoy shopping, baking, cooking, cleaning, organizing, running, clowning, making soap, playing piano and lately painting with ASCP paint! I am learning to enjoy the little things in life and make the most of it...clinging to my Savior through the tears that life brings and enjoying his GRACE He gives us every day! Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

This has been a long journey. A journey paved with tears and confusion and lots of stress. It all started last October when we decided we needed room to breathe...and wanted a HUGE yard:)

Six months later and we are finally ready to reach what I am calling Phase 2 of the "Segrist Great Home Adventure."

If I could offer any advice to you when selling your home it would be that your realtor loves your home and realizes the beauty of it before selling it. So many realtors just want to sell sell sell and if it doesn't sell they want you to lower it....and keep lowering it so that basically you aren't making any money whatsoever on your old home and don't have as much as you could have had for your new home. Our last realtor lost two sales for us that were absolutely ridiculous! She finally decided to tell us to put all new windows and a new roof on the house...basically....she wanted us to make a 100 year old house NEW! Well, guess what...after 100 years my baby is STILL standing! She's looking mighty fine I might add as well! She's been through the depression, and a couple of wars and still...she stands. She might have creaky floors...but she has glorious lead glass windows, beautiful pillars and charm charm charm! She has cool pocket doors and not to mention all the upgrades we have done to this house.

We have talked to three different realtors and two of the three disagreed with the advice our number three realtor gave us...so we fired her :( It was kinda sad...but it had to happen:) What happened next was completely GOD! We found our buyers through a friend and decided to just sell it ourselves...if they didn't want it then we were going to list it with another realtor who went through our inspection report with us and basically told us NOT to do any of the things that our old realtor had told us to do and knew she could sell our house....and we know she could have:)

Selling your own home is not something I would recommend but this situation was different and all parties are happy so far with the outcome...now I know that things could all fall apart...that's life....but I don't think they will:)

I saw the look in the eye of the young woman who will be living here with her husband and children and I recognized that look....it was the same one that I had when I walked into this beauty and fell in love with this house and I knew we could do GREAT things together:) I loved the doors, the pillars, the windows, the charm on the outside of the house with the wood, the big front porch, the cute brick back porch, the flower beds, the spacious room, the huge size bedrooms, the storage, the GLORIOUS storage:) Now, I know my "baby" belongs to another....and I know she will do great things with her!

When we moved here my baby girls was 14 months old, my son was 8 and my two stepdaughters were 12 and 14:) Since that time we have watched one graduate from highschool and go off to college, countless fevers and asthma attacks, sleepovers and fall parties, birthday parties and just parties:) surgeries, and broken bones, snow blizzards and tornado watches, countless work parties and front porch sales, braces for two, two that learned to drive, one that was potty trained, 4th of July parties, lots of baking, cooking, soap making, lots of laundry, and paint and crafts....through it all...we have rested in HOME...we love this house....and I will bawl when I leave it...but its time for a new adventure....strap in....and get ready for a bumpy ride:)

Have a Blessed day and remember that Home is really where you make it:)

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Today is my Dad's birthday...yesterday I with my two children were supposed to go to help he and my Mom pack some boxes (they are moving up here next month) but at 3am my E decided to lose her dinner...and then myself and my dear hubby were aching and yucky feeling all day:( Today I'm better...no headache...no aches...just kinda blah...but def much better.

Yesterday I had planned to take a ton of pictures of my childhood home....but now that will have to wait until next week:( We also are selling our house...and feel that very soon that will be our turn to pack up and head out on a new adventure.

This August my hubby and I also celebrate ten years of marriage! Wow! Hard for us to believe...but with all the changes happening and time moving at warp speed...I long for being settled...being on a schedule again...but for now....I am just waiting for the changes:)

This coming week I have dance recital practice for my E, lots of graduation parties, a wedding shower, and somehow fit in a birthday party for my E that doesn't look like I threw it all together...(which will be a feat).

That's why days like yesterday were good...sitting still, doing nothing, resting....taking in the blessings even though you aren't really feeling like counting that many:( I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be a wife, mom and a stepmother...my job is so hard but I wouldn't ever change it for anything in this world!

Monday, April 22, 2013

It's that time of year! I start buying curriculum for the next year. I have always made it a habit (in the last three years) to do this by now so I know what I need for next year...so that in july I'm not trying to figure it all out...its done and I'm happy:)

BJU is totally working for my 7th grader so this year....I'm switching EVERYTHING to BJU...he will be doing it online so that he has teachers in every subject...I personally LOVE listening to his science teacher in the morning while I do dishes:))) its FABULOUS!!!!

This is what he will be doing next year...he's not quite as enthused as I am:)

My Ellie continues to struggle with reading...we just keep pressing on. She loves Science, Math and Art...I got this art set from Timberdoodle and she begged to do more...but I knew she would be sad if we used the WHOLE curriculum today...or maybe just MOMMY would be SAD:( Teachers her how to blend colors and really creates a sense of accomplishment with painting.

Totally not school related my hubby sent these to me...the card read "Just because your awesome:)" Very much needed after the couple of months stresses we have had...thanks babe!

Last but no least....in true home schooling fashion...we have a lot of projects going for spring:)

We have a tadpole, caterpillars for our butterfly pavilion and an inside garden:) Science is a wonderful think to have your children interested in! So far...we are having a GREAT time watching God's creation:)

For school this next year I will be getting BJU Math 1 for Ellie, continuing her science with Magic School Bus and other fillers, History with Susan Wise Bauer (she offers books on tape) which is what we are using. For Bible Buck Denver and Adventures in Odyssey...I also go to the Library and do a ton of books on tape...it encourages her vocabulary even though she's not reading yet. Obviously my main concerns are reading, reading and reading....with a close follow up of Math. There are also some great programs such as Wild Kratts which is an amazing program about animals in which my Ellie has gained a ton of knowledge. Art is her favorite subject in which I always find classes within our home school group and there are several online sources to gain more art projects from. She also enjoys Awana and Dance....have a GREAT end of your school year...we are working hard! We will also continue math and reading every day throughout the summer...and my son T will continue Math as well...its to hard for them to catch up again if we wait!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I would not consider myself a runner...I am working up to that but most certainly can I say I am NOT a runner. However, I do participate in the sport and because of my interest my family does as well.

In saying that may I say that not once has it ever crossed my mind in running a race that I have ever feared for my safety. At every race my five year old daughter is either with me on the sidelines by the Finish or with my husband or parents. My son runs ahead of me and I have never feared for him or his safety because I know we have friends and family at the Finish and police to protect us on the way.

The Color Run that we participated in on Saturday had 10,000 people...that was the largest race I have ever ran...and it was so fun. We would pass the police cars and officers and wave as they protected us from traffic....that was the fun of the run....running where we never get to go. My husband said last night that forever we are changed when we run. During the Color Run I held my E's hand and we ran with no worries...now....we will forever be changed.

Like many, I'm outraged, furious, sad, bawling....why???? Why would someone do this? However, I'm moved by the way people helped each other...strangers, hurting brought together by something that was supposed to be fun and instead turned to a nightmare. It makes me want to run longer, fight harder...not give in to those who want to make us fear the unknown.

I am happy to hear in the media that prayer is once again being brought up and that God is still who we rely on....nothing better to hear than "our thoughts and prayers are with the victims."

My training begins again today....more determined than ever to join my fellow "runners" as one of them!

Have a GREAT day!

These are just a few of the races that we have done...my prayers are with Boston.

Monday, April 15, 2013

This past week and all the drama of being a Mamma have worn me down....Saturday night it all came to a great big DISAPPOINTMENT! I was done! Unlike many women I have a very mature approach to when things aren't going my way....I pout...Yes, VERY MATURE!

So, I went outside and took out my frustration on some serious weeds in my flower gardens and filled up about five bags.....but still I was so mad I wanted to go somewhere and just CRY!

Yesterday found me feeling the same way....but I went to church, convicted by the message and then as I was getting ready to go last night, to a concert with about 30 of my fellow church ladies....I went upstairs to my E's room and found all her bedding on the floor...you see it was mopping up all the water from the broken air purifer that she had broken and was wanting to "help" me pick it up instead of telling me about it:( Those are the things that they don't write in the parenting books eh??? Yes, I needed a concert and needed it RIGHT now. Off to church I went...got in the van with the other ladies....we all vented a little...off to a restaurant where we waited an HOUR for our food....FRUSTRATION, FRUSTRATION, FRUSTRATION! Ever feel God is setting you up to teach you a GREAT BIG LESSON and that in that He has just a teeny itsy bitsy sense of humor??? Oh yes, he does! BIG TIME!!!!!

Mandisa, Brandon Heath and Laura Story....and they all have amazing stories...and wonderful music...

However, it was the stories of the women that sat around me that changed my perspective...the lady in front of me who was obviously going through chemo...with her hands lifted...singing praises to her Savior...the lady in front of her with her handicapped child as she wiped the slobber from his face and held him up so he could participate in the concert...are you feeling convicted yet??? The women surrounding me who were battling some very serious family issues, deaths in their family, painful breakups, yet you would never know it by looking at them...we all carry these huge burdens...never telling them..because who wants to be a "Debbie Downer?"

Laura Story shared her story of the battle her and her husband have gone through...and her words have stayed with me all night..."Will you praise Him even when bad things happen?" I hope I will...I hope my heart changes...and my first response would be praise...and not anger.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

This past weekend my family and I participated in the Color Run. I have to tell you we all had an absolute blast! The only problem was my husband noticed on the color packets that there was a foreign name given for corn...we were already in the chute ready to go and we had no idea how Ellie would do. Well, we protected her as best we could but it was everywhere and that night....she had a terrible allergic reaction. Thankfully we were at my sister n law's house who is a nurse and her hubby is anesthesiologist so it was great that he was able to see the reaction occur. I am now able to go back and tell the doctor in their terms exactly what happens when she has this reaction that way they will be able to treat it better. It was always hard for my hubby and I to explain...he thinks she will grow out of it...and I REALLY hope so!

Here are some pics of our weekend!

Our house is technically under contract right now and we are trying to decide between building a home and purchasing one...its a bit stressful right now....our contract on our home has a contigency so I still have agents wanting to show my home...which frankly is really difficult...but it won't last forever! Have a fabulous week! We here in the Midwest are enjoying the last two days of 70's before it drops down into the 30's...and I wonder why my E is hacking in the next room?! Oh you gotta love the Midwest!